There’s a First for Everything
by M.infinity
Summary: Shunsui blames himself when Nanao is injured in a supposedly harmless training session. Feeling guilty, he decides to do whatever it takes to redeem himself, even if it involves being completely serious. Will they grow closer together or fall apart?
1. Prologue

**Author Note: **

My first try, don't flame too hard.  
Sorry for out of character moments, but hey, they get so little screen time it's hard to tell what's out of character.  
Please review, I'm open to any constructive criticism.

Also, this story is complete now, but may still undergo small edits as I re-read it.

**Disclaimer:**I don't own Bleach, just my story.

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**: Prologue :**

_A black-haired woman sat at a wooden desk, a weak shaft of moonlight barely shining through closed shutters onto her writing surface, distracting her momentarily from her work. The scant light reflected off the still wet ink glistening on the paper, giving each letter a brief glow until they dried, then coming to life again as another line was written._

_Suddenly the brush stopped its dance across the white surface, ending with a flourish as the writer signed her name, Nanao Ise. She paused for a second, watching as the last ink dried, and the reflection from the moonlight died away. It reminded her of herself, of her life, given a brief moment to shine, only for it to fade away in an instant. _

_Nanao forced herself to return to her paperwork, return to her life. She told herself that her existence should be based on what was real and not imaginary, what she could hold on to and not be disappointed in. She ordered herself to give up all thoughts of love. That is what she told herself, yet somewhere inside she knew she would have to face the facts and quit hiding. She knew that, someday, she'd have to stop running from the only thing that might be her salvation…_

**: End Prologue :**

**End Note: A bit angsty and short, I know, but think of it more as an introduction to my story; more like something you'd read on the back of a book than the actual story.**

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	2. A Bad Feeling

**First real chapter of my story. Enjoy and leave reviews :)**

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**: Chapter One- A bad feeling :**

The birds outside chirped happily and Nanao stopped for a moment to listen. They were so content to just use their cramped wings, to fly free without worry. They could soar up and down the wind currents and graze the dew-soaked grass with their slender wingtips. They flew from tree to tree, over flowers stretching their curled petals toward the warmth of the sun, the colors of nature swirling around them. They were privileged to enjoy the most beautiful day of spring.

And she had to be inside the office, doing work that should've been done ages ago. _How lucky they are. For them, today is a day of fun and rebirth._ She thought gloomily. She carefully set her brush down next to a finished stack of paperwork and stretched her arms out in front of her, closing her eyes for a moment. With an inward sigh she reached for another stack of the never-ending papers.

Of course she was working today instead of enjoying the first day of spring with her friends. Besides dragging her drunken Captain home from bars at the odd hours of the night, paperwork _was_ her life. Her first moments free of that insufferable man, and she was doing _his_ job.

_They should just make me Captain of the 8__th__. I'm basically doing all the work. _

A single strand of black hair escaped from the confines of her bun. Agitated, she pushed it back for the fourth time. _It's an omen. _She thought bitterly. _Most likely an omen that you'll be dragging Kyouraku-taicho home after he drinks himself into a coma._

Minutes passed without change, the birds had moved to a branch directly outside the nearest window trilling their songs with a cheerful attitude, mocking her with their freedom.

A warning screech from a bird and slight flare of reiatsu was all the warning she received before Kyouraku Shunsui, in all his flamboyant glory, burst into the room wearing his usual goofy grin.

"Nanao- chaaaan!" Not bothering to walk, he used shunpo to land nimbly next to her desk. However, he still managed to send the neatly stacked pile of papers flying into a brief, chaotic freedom.

"Taicho!" He flinched as she gave him a glare that would've sent lesser Shinigami running. Fortunately, he was fairly immune to her death stares, but only after years upon years of practice.

"Look what you've done!" She hit his hand with the fan that she carried around just for the purpose of smacking him whenever he misbehaved.

"Ow!" He rubbed his hand. "Nanao-chan, you're being particularly cold today."

"Well, Nanao-chan has the bad feeling that she will have to clean up _your_ mess … again." Her tone was brittle as she bent to retrieve the fallen papers. She piled them in a perfectly aligned stack, pushing them as far away from him as possible.

"Nonsense!" he replied cheerfully. "We're taking the new recruits out for real-world training today." Her head snapped up.

"What?!" He chuckled as she turned red with anger. "How long have you known?" She demanded.

"Yare, yare Nanao-chan, I've known about it since last week." He watched as she closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, her usual routine for dealing with his last minute requisitions. His chocolate-brown eyes twinkled as he watched her face scrunch up as she calmed herself.

"When are we leaving?" she asked, stamping a seal at the bottom of a form. She moved to grab another stack but Shunsui's large hand caught her wrist and she felt a blush rise to her cheeks. _What's wrong with me? _she thought, panicked. _It's just Kyouraku-taicho… your superior officer, your Captain. Your Captain… _

He bent down and put his mouth next to her ear, the thin stubble on his chin tickling the bottom of her earlobe. He was way too close. Close enough that she could smell sake that lingered on his breath, a scent that never left him._ A scent that I lov-- NO! This was wrong! _

Nanao had never believed in inner turmoil. There had always been a logical answer to every question, until now. There had to be a reasonable explanation… Obviously years of working under him had grown on her. What she felt toward his was more of the feeling you had for a brother, or a close relative, nothing more.

"We're leaving now. West gate." He smiled at the small, barely noticeable, shiver that ran down her spine before flash-stepping away from her ever-present fan.

**: End Chapter 1 :**


	3. Taking the Plunge

**:Chapter 2- Taking the plunge:**

It took Nanano a while to regain her common sense, which was soon replaced by anger. She raced up to her room, tripping on the stairs as she tried to shunpo up them. Using language that she normally wouldn't be caught dead using, she picked herself up, straightened her glasses, and continued down the wooden hallway.

She arrived at the plain wooden door marked with the Vice-Captain symbol: the same symbol as the one on her arm. Pushing open the door, she glanced around the small room. It was small and plain, a reflection of its owner. Books were stacked against the wall, all alphabetized by author. The desk in the corner contained only the basic essentials: a few writing utensils, some paper, a comb, a small light. What else did she need?

She crossed the room quickly and found her small Zanpakuto lying on her bed. Now she realized what a mistake it was that she hadn't brought it to work. Shinigami were supposed to carry their Zanpakuto everywhere, but it seemed like fate had chosen the one day she decided to leave it at home to make something like this happen. _It's almost like he plans it so I make myself look like an idiot._

She shoved the small sword up her sleeve, and pushed the ever persistent piece of hair that had mysteriously fallen out again back into place. Grabbing her large book of kidou spells from the oak dresser, she raced out the door.

**:-:**

She arrived at the West Gate out of breath, and found the rest of the division was already waiting for her. _Not a good impression._ She stopped herself and walked in the most dignified manner she could muster toward the source of her troubles, Kyouraku Shunsui.

"Ahh good, Nanao-chan is finally here!" Shunsui exclaimed loudly enough for the majority of the assembly to hear. A few people snickered, but the captain of the 8th Division went on without hearing them. "Now that she's here, my lovely Vice-Captain will tell you the plan for today." All eyes turned to her.

She cleared her throat loudly and pulled on her usual emotionless mask. Luckily, she had already devised her plan on the way here.

"Today we will be going into the real world for training. For many of you, this will be your first time." The newly appointed Shinigami whispered excitedly. "There is no need to be worried; your reiatsu should only attract a few of the lesser Hollows. Stay in groups of two or more." She paused, waiting for them to quiet down. "Dismissed!"

"HAI ISE-FUKUTAICHO!" They all yelled in unison.

**:-:**

Wrong. This was all wrong.

_Definitely not good,_ thought Nanao as new Hollows burst into the large clearing. The trees cracked threateningly as more and more appeared. The other Shinigami were fighting bravely, but were slowly falling under the vast numbers of the white-masked creatures.

"Nanao-chan, I think this might be a few too many for the new recruits." Shunsui joked with a fake laugh, arching his dual blades through the air like a pair of giant scissors to cleave a nearby Hollow cleanly in half. It gave one last ear-splitting roar before disintegrating into the humid air. Even in a tight situation, he would never drop her pet name, which annoyed her to no end.

"Hai." She pressed one of the many buttons on her headset. "This is 8th Division's Ise-fukutaicho requesting backup." She yelled into her headset over the clash of steel. Her only reply was the scratchy sound of static. More Hollows appeared, bigger than the ones that had been slain.

"Kyouraku-taicho, there's no response." Nanao's left arm had gone numb and blood was dripping into the soft grass from a claw-shaped gash in her left leg. Ignoring the searing pain she shot balls of kidou flame at the oncoming opponents. Her deadly precision hit the Hollows in the center of their mask.

"Keep trying!" He shouted back at her, slicing through the air and keeping the monsters at bay.

"Sending… z z z… backup… z z z… now…" A faint voice from the other end of the earpiece came through the noise and screams. Relief surged through Nanao. They were going to be okay!

"Taicho! They're on the way!" She cried.

He turned toward her to answer, but a look of panic crossed his face. It was a look she had never seen before. It was look that belonged on the face of heroes who had just realized their struggle had been for naught; a look he should never have to wear. At first she thought he was looking at her, but realized too late that he was staring directly over her shoulder.

She whipped around to come face-to-face with one of the biggest Hollows she had ever seen. She was almost certain this was a Menos Grande. _No. _She looked closer. _It's not a Menos, it's just huge. _

"Shot of red fire!" She screamed, aiming her hand at the insanely large mask. It merely glanced off of the strong white armor, a pebble against a tank. The shot had left her exhausted, and her head pounded louder than her heart. She watched, unable to move, as a jagged claw sliced through the air.

**:.:**

He watched, unable to help, as the claw collided with her side as she brought her sword up, a few seconds before the white spike hit. The sword let out a resounding BONG as the shockwave of power raced up its side, shaking Nanao from head to foot.

"Nanao!" Shunsui let out a ferocious growl and launched himself across the clearing.

Meanwhile, Nanao was struggling to stay conscious. She struggled to form the words that would send yet another shot of fire, but the pain in her side along with the low levels of reiatsu told her she wouldn't be able to. _Damn. What a horrible way to die. _And then she was falling, falling, spiraling deeper into the darkness that waited so eagerly to engulf her. _I'm sorry, Kyouraku-taicho. I wasn't there to protect you… _

"Noo!" Shunsui finally broke free of his attackers and watched as his Vice-Captain fell, as if in slow motion, toward the blood-stained ground.

**: End Chapter 2 :**


	4. Nanao's Secret

**: Chapter 3- Nanao's Secret :**

Shunsui sighed, flipping his worn bamboo hat out of his eyes with one hand while he ran the other through his mop of brown hair. He opened his eyes again, staring tiredly at the prone figure lying on the bleached white hospital bed. He jerked his vision away with effort, and resumed pacing, feet making muffled thumps against the wooden floor of the 4th division's hospital ward. For the past two days he had barely eaten or slept, but no one had dared disturb him. It wasn't that he didn't want to sleep— he just couldn't. Every time he closed his eyes he saw her, saw her falling, saw her dying, all because of him.

He replayed the scene over and over, for the thousandth time. Why had he left her? Were they not supposed to stay together? Of all the stupid, stupid mistakes…

**:.:**

_"Noo!" He was racing towards her, but she had already fallen into a broken heap on the ground. The Hollow leered sadistically at her body from behind its mask. Like two poisonous fangs into raw flesh, Shunsui sank his swords into its mask before it could move; his arms a blur as they twirled his swords around to slay the fiend. The second the Hollow dissolved into nothing, he raced to where his Fukutaicho lay bleeding on the grass._

_"Nanao," he whispered, gently stroking back a piece of hair that had fallen out of place. He heard cheers in the background and knew that reinforcements had arrived, but it was all a dull roar. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered. What had mattered lay before him, staining the green grass red. _

_"Nanao," he murmured again. A single tear landed on her badly scratched glasses. _

_"Kyouraku-taicho!" Someone ran up to him, shaking his shoulder. "Please move. We need to transport Ise-fukutaicho to the 4__th__ division as soon as possible." _

_"Nanao." Strong arms were pulling him away. He fought them, as her body moved farther and farther away from his line of sight. He growled in frustration and shame and sheer exasperation at all the feelings welling up and spilling over inside him, fighting against whatever evil was trying to separate him from his Nanao-chan. _

_"Shunsui stop." His best friend, Ukitake, put his hand on Shunsui's shoulder. "We have to get her out of here if she is to be saved." He stopped flailing, his brain still moving too fast. He felt lightheaded, faint. He couldn't think. _

_"Nanao…"_

**:.:**

He looked down at her, sleeping peacefully. Her glasses had been removed, and her black hair pooled around her shoulders, framing her face like a halo and giving her an ethereal beauty as the light from the window shone through. She looked calmer sleeping than she ever had awake. Her face still hinted at a scowl, as if something in her dreams was unsatisfying. He sighed, averting his gaze, wondering if the only reason he had never seen her smile was because he kept her agitated all the time.

"You're going to wear a hole into the floor." A female voice came from the door. Shunsui looked up from staring at his sandaled feet. The Fourth Division's captain, Unohana, closed the door behind her, cutting off the voices that drifted in from the hall.

"I don't care," he muttered. "Just tell me how she is."

"She'll be fine, if not mad at the extra paperwork she'll have to finish on the hole in the floor." Shunsui sighed, taking the hint, and dropped into a worn wooden chair.

"But…" His head gave a small jerk. "She'll be very weak and confused for a few days. I suggest you restrain her from doing any work. Her leg was pretty torn up when she arrived."

"Unohana-san," he said slowly. "Thank you." She bowed and left. The door closed with a click behind her and Shunsui turned his attention back to his Vice-Captain.

He moved his chair closer to Nanao's bed and lightly put his hand on her forehead. It was still warmer than normal, but at least the fire that had previously consumed her had gone. She shivered when he withdrew his hand, as though he had taken the warmth she so desperately needed away. When her eyelids fluttered ever so slightly, he did not give a second thought before draping his most prized possession over her.

"Go back to sleep, Nanao-chan," he whispered as he gently patted her hand.

**: Nanao's dream :**

_Kyouraku Shunsui found his newly appointed fukutaicho sitting under his favorite sakura tree, buried deep within a large tome. The pink petals from the tree overhead fell like rain, cascading down in graceful swirls and turns. They coated the spring air with their flowery scent, the true essence of nature. _

_However, Nanao was obviously not here to enjoy the flowers. No, she was here for the peace and quiet this isolated place offered. She was so intent on her reading that she did not notice the arrival of her captain. _

_"What are you reading Nanao-chan?" he said loudly from behind. She instinctively yelped and hit him with her book. She glanced up, stunned: she had hit her commanding officer. "I must say you have good reflexes." He smiled._

_"My sincerest apologies Kyouraku-taicho, sir." She bowed her head. He chuckled and sat down next to her. Unaccustomed to anyone being so close, she scooted away from him. "And please," she adjusted her glasses, "call me Ise-fukutaicho." _

_"Nanao-chan! You would take away the best part of my day." He pulled a sake bottle out of the confines of his robe and took a long sip. "Unless of course you'd agree to call me Shunsui-kun." _

_"Never, Kyouraku-taicho." She re-opened her book and began to read._

_A silence fell between them, neither having anything else to say, the tranquility broken only by the turn of pages or the occasional sip of sake. She never moved her gaze from her book; he never stopped looking at her, taking every detail in from where he lay in the grass. The sun traveled across the sky, but time did not touch the pair sitting beneath the tree. He spoke as the last rays of the sun shone across the horizon, basking the world in its orange glow._

_"A present for my lovely Nanao-chan." _

"_Excuse me?" She turned around, unaware that he had woken up. He was sitting up now, legs crossed beneath him, sake bottle out of sight. _

_He held out his closed fist to her. She shook her head, but he urged her on, eyes never leaving her face. After a moment of consideration, she slowly closed her book and tucked it under her arm. _

_Little by little, he opened his closed hand. In the center of his calloused palm was a perfect blossom, neither wrinkled nor torn. Her delicate fingers shook slightly as she tentatively plucked it from his hand. _

_"Taicho…" But he was already gone…_

**: End of Nanao's dream :**

"Kyouraku-taicho." Shunsui opened his eyes. He had fallen asleep with his hand on his knee, chin resting on his hand. At first he thought he had imagined Nanao's voice, that his imagination had caught him off-guard. She mumbled a bit more and he leaned in closer, interested.

"Taicho…" Her voice was soft, but he heard it loud and clear. He grinned inwardly; _she's having dreams of me._

He reached over to grab his sake bottle in celebration but knocked over Nanao's secretive kidō book in the process. Normally he would've respected her privacy, her personal space. But he had seen something that stirred the pools of curiosity within him.

In the second that the pages had come to life in their fall toward the ground, he had seen it… Frowning, he picked up the book and held it in one hand, the other hovering over the cover. He shouldn't be doing this; he should just put it back as if nothing had happened. Hadn't Jūshirō told him something about curiosity before?

"Curiosity killed the cat Shunsui, and with Nanao around, you _are_ that cat. Let her keep her privacy. No doubt she needs it with you around _all the time_."

At the time he had laughed at that statement, but now he took his friend's words into consideration. _Curiosity may have killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back._ He knew would not be satisfied until he figured out what was in her book.

_I'm looking._ He decided, pushing away the small nagging guilt in his head. He cast one last glance at Nanao, asleep on the bed, before opening the large volume. His fingers shook slightly as he turned the pages. The first half of the book was dedicated to kidō spells of every kind. Some, no doubt, had been invented by Nanao herself. Her neat handwriting filled every blank space with writing, descriptions of each and every spell.

After flipping past these with little interest, he reached the end. After were pages, all devoid of ink. He frowned, thinking he had possibly just imagined...

His eyes widened. He had been absentmindedly flipping through the remaining blank pages when he found it. There, in the center of a page near the end of the book, was a perfectly preserved sakura blossom. He had no doubt that it was the same one from the first day he had met her, the first day she had started working as his Vice-captain. _She kept it all this time..._

He flipped to the next page, but it was blank. None of his other gifts, none of the many poems, and none of her thoughts were there. Mind whirling, he carefully replaced the book on the small nightstand beside her bed and took a moment to look at her. He found himself feeling guiltier than ever, but he would fix that. Or, at least, that's what he hoped to accomplish.

"Nanao Ise, you are such a mystery to me." He whispered. Picking up his bamboo hat, he slipped quietly out into the moonless night.

**: End Chapter 3 :**


	5. Wide Awake

**: Chapter 4 – Wide Awake :**

Nanao closed her violet eyes with contentment coursing through her body. She nestled further against the large, warm form next to her. She felt warm, so safely warm…

Her eyes shot open like sprung traps, snapping her thoughts back to reality. The dream that was not, could not, be real faded away like mist as the sun of reality peaked over her horizon. She reached out as if to grasp the last fading memories of what had sweetly transpired, before they were lost forever…

Her hands stopped in midair, a horrified expression crossing her face. Reality crashed down with a wave of confusing emotions. It was wrong for her to think such things, dreaming of her superior in such a way, yet she couldn't stop herself.

_I can't keep doing this to myself, _she thought. _He's not the kind of man I deserve, the kind that laughs at life like a joke, and enjoys nothing better than a jug of sake and the company of his friends. Besides, all the flirting and the gifts… he never really means it. _Nanao wanted to believe that she had the willpower to give up on him, but did she? Somehow she never was able to consciously stamp out the possibilities that surfaced in her dreams.

She slowly turned her pounding head to look around. Squinting in the darkness, she could tell that she was in one of the 4th division's holding rooms. Her usual black uniform had been replaced with a white hospital robe, which matched the monochromatic scheme of the room perfectly.

The loud rumbling that echoed off the walls was emanating from her taicho, who was sitting in a chair that looked as though it may give way any moment. His head was on his arms, which were folded on the edge of the bed. She was surprised to see he had abandoned his usual pink coat, but then realized he had draped it, almost protectively, over her blankets. She blushed a deep red color and was grateful, for the first time in her life, that her taicho was asleep. She watched the gentle rise and fall of his chest before the pounding in her head forced her back to sleep.

**:.:**

Shunsui was getting suspicious. Every time he woke up or went to visit his Vice-captain, she was always asleep. According to 4th squad's Hanataro, she was awake most of the time, which he found the most frustrating of all. He had given her no reason to avoid him, at least not yet. But he was a patient man, he would wait…

The first time he caught her awake was two days after the incident, during the hottest part of the afternoon. When he peeked into the room he saw her, eyes focused on something outside the window.

"Nanao-chan! You're finally awake!" He entered the room with a flourish, and only years of training kept Nanao from rolling her eyes. "I was worried."

"Yes Captain, it would appear that I am awake and well." Her voice was soft but retained its usual cold edge. "I trust you are okay?"

He grinned. "No, my lovely Nanao-chan, I was sick…" He held a melodramatic hand to his forehead, as she glanced at him, a small glint of concern in her eyes. "…sick with worry about my Nanao-chan." This time she did roll her eyes.

"I… appreciate your distress Kyouraku-taicho, but I'm fine." She tried to sit up, but a striking pain in her lower abdomen and leg caused her to sink back into the pillows with a small gasp. He instantaneously rushed to her side, hat floating to the ground, disregarded.

"Now, now Nanao-chan, Unohana's orders. You're not allowed to stress yourself for a few more days." He leaned in closer, and she withdrew slightly. "And that means… no paperwork! You are more than welcome to spend the day with me, of course."

"Taicho, if I don't do the paperwork, who will?" She sighed and gritted her teeth. "Do you _know_ how fast the paperwork builds up?"

"Actually, I do know…" he replied with a grimace. "Who do you think has to do the paperwork when you're not there?" He smiled sheepishly.

She raised an eyebrow. "Really?" He nodded enthusiastically, obviously feeling proud of himself for accomplishing such a task. He eagerly contemplated the pleased, if surprised response his lieutenant might award him…

"BAKA!" She threw the first thing she could lay her hands on; his empty sake bottle.

"Ouch!" The bottle bounced off his unprotected head and clattered to the floor. "I thought you would be happy!" he cried, massaging his skull.

"Happy?" She reached to her glasses. He was most likely dead if she took them off. "Now I have to do even more!"

"I don't—" he interjected, but she ranted on.

"I have to go back and fix all of your," she pointed a slim finger accusingly at the spot right between his eyes, "mistakes. You probably did it while drinking, didn't you?!"

"Now Nanao-chan," he pouted, "that's not fair! I only drank a few, to keep myself awake."

"I—" the door burst open, and Matsumoto Rangiku bounced in. She squealed before engulfing Nanao in an airtight hug. Shunsui watched, amused, as Nanao attempted to free herself from Matsumoto's bear hug.

"M-Matsumoto—can't—breathe."

"What? Oh sorry!" The strawberry-blonde released her friend. "But I still just feel SO worried sometimes."

"I'm okay, thanks to 4th squad." Nanao adjusted her glasses before giving her best friend a small smile. Shunsui felt a pang of something bitter… jealousy. After all, he had never once been able to make her smile so simply… without any effort at all…

"Nonesense, he's always joking," Nanao whispered, hoping Shunsui, who seemed to be deep in thought, wouldn't hear. "He's probably said those exact words to a million women."

"Ahh!" Matsumoto had a glimmer of triumph in her eye. "But he hasn't said it to any woman since he met you!"

"That—"

"And…" She spoke as if playing a trump card in a poker game, "he hasn't left your side since you were brought here!"

"But the forms—"

"Okay, fine." Matsumoto continued in a slightly impatient voice, as she tried to emphasize her point, "He's been doing that at night, which is the _only_ time he leaves. Unohana-taicho said that if he didn't let you sleep in peace, she would have to ban him from your room."

Nanao felt something vague pitch inside her at this idea. _S-still…_ "Matsumoto, even if he does have feelings for me, that doesn't mean I feel anything back…"

"Ahh, but if you did…"

"I don't—"

"Within the next week…"

"I won't—"

"I would be a lot richer!"

"…What?"

"You see…" Matsumoto explained, "There's this betting pool—"

"WHAT?!" Shunsui turned his head to glance curiously at them. Somewhat alarmed, Nanao dropped her voice to a soft hiss. "What do you mean?"

"Everyone sees it…" Matsumoto had to refrain from rolling her eyes at her friend's apparent denial…

"I refuse to believe—"

"It's just a matter of time—"

"Yeah, in a million years—"

"But I suspect by the end of next week you'll be…" She made a gesture with her hands that made Nanao bite back a retort and turn pinker than her captain's haori.

"I do hope that I am the cause of all your gossip," Shunsui called out from the opposite side of the room, breaking the tension. "I—" he stopped when Nanao glared daggers at him.

"Well, I'll just leave you two lovebirds alone." Matsumoto winked at Nanao before skipping out the door, closing it with a brisk snap.

"So…" Shunsui took a moment to recall the delectable, shocked look Nanao had recently sported. "What were you talking about?" he asked, breaking the quiet spell that had fallen over the two.

"Nothing that concerns you," she lied.

"Ah, so you were discussing an epic fantasy involving me, you, and sake?"

Nanao blanched, hoping he hadn't heard anything. Her back straightened defensively as she snapped, "Taicho! I would never—"

"Yare, Nanao-chan, don't get angry again. I was just kidding." He gave her his signature, amiable smile.

Nanao leaned back into her pillows. It wasn't the joke that bothered her, she had gotten used to him pulling lines like that after a while… No, what perturbed her was how close to the truth his remark had come. Was there really any probability in these rumored feelings that seemed so definite to everyone but herself? After all, so many shinigami could not be convinced of a relationship between two people without some kind of evidence…

But then, there were faults to the idea: how could a captain and lieutenant harbor a bond like this? And why _this_ captain? Weren't there so many things about him she could subject to criticism? And why this lieutenant? Why _her_?

She shook her head tiredly. Her mindset was already disrupted by this situation, and applying logic only seemed to make it more complicated… Still, she understood somehow that this was not a personal topic that was going to be abandoned anytime soon.

**: End Chapter 4 :**


	6. Drunk

Hope this chapter keeps you interested!

* * *

**: Chapter 5 – Drunk :**

"Finished." Stepping back from Nanao, the gentle fourth division captain folded her charts and tucked them under her arm. "You should be fine, just keep the work light for a few days. Your leg is still in an unstable condition and you don't need to be putting too much stress on it."

"Thank you Unohana-san!" Shunsui piped up from the door. "You made my Nanao-chan all better!"

"And you, Kyouraku-san…" She faced him. "Don't give her a reason to be using her leg any more than she needs to." She glared, the room's temperature dropping a few degrees. Unohana then waved goodbye to Nanao, and left the room. Shunsui turned to his lieutenant, a gentle smile on his unshaven face.

"Nanao-chan, isn't today particularly gorgeous? Let's go outside and enjoy nature's marvelous beauty together! Though, of course, no day could ever be as exquisite as my lovely Na—" The fan hit him right between the eyes, leaving a small red rectangle at the point of impact.

"Taicho, I've only been awake for half an hour and you've already reverted back to your normal antics. Actually, I'm surprised you haven't already—," he pulled his bottle of sake out from the folds of his sleeve. "… Never mind. If you please, taicho, I would like to return t—"

"Oh, Nanao-chan! Don't tell me you plan on going straight to paperwork!" He gasped disbelievingly, as if he had just received news that all the sake in the world had mysteriously evaporated.

"If I don't finish it, who will?" She angrily locked eyes with him. "You?"

"But you can do it later!" He objected, looking away from her intense violet gaze. "Unohana-san specifically said you need to take it easy."

"I can't just—"

"Not even for a little…?"

"No!" She snatched up her book, which was near the edge the bedside table, and swung her legs over the edge of the infirmary bed. "I don't understand how you can complain, seeing as the reason I'm in the office so much is because of _you._" She attempted to stand, but after days of neglect, her legs gave way beneath her. Both luckily and unluckily, her captain happened to be standing right there to catch her.

Shunsui didn't think it was possible for his fukutaicho to turn such a delicate shade of red, but she loved to prove him wrong. She struggled to stand, only to fall back into his broad chest.

"Nanao-chan, if you want—"

"I'm perfectly fine!" She snapped, only to be embarrassed again as she collapsed, once more, into his waiting arms.

"I may be drunk, but I'm not stupid." He scooped her up, bridal-style, and marched out the door at a fast walk. The wooden hallway was deserted, but Nanao knew that outside the calm 4th division doors, the walkways would be crowded with people, running back and forth between divisions.

"What are you doing?!" She slapped the side of his face with her book, disliking the uncomfortable feeling that had arisen in her stomach. He twitched slightly, an amused smile playing on the corners of his lips as a small, red patch of skin appeared on his cheek.

"That hurt," he murmured, slowing down to a walk.

"Put. Me. DOWN!" She demanded.

"And what if I refuse?" He asked her.

"I'll file a complaint for harassment."

"But I'm helping you!" He protested, keeping an eye on his footing as to not drop his precious bundle. Passing shinigami stopped to stare, and to Nanao's immediate displeasure, he smiled back at them as if nothing at all was out of the ordinary.

"How?" She stared fiercely at the bottom of his chin, wishing he would at least look at her while speaking. "By humiliating me in record time?"

"Nanao-chan, listen," he said quietly, "would you rather let me carry you, or fall every few steps? Either way, you'll end up in my arms." _Though I don't mind either way, _he thought smugly.

"Though I dislike the look on your face," she paused, choosing her words carefully, "I would appreciate your assistance in my return to the office."

"Why, I would love nothing more than to escort my lady to her workplace." His smile broadened, and he set off at a fast pace. Normally, she would have replied angrily at his comment about her being "his" lady, but instead she put all of her energy in attempting to look as calm and collected as she possibly could… in her captain's arms.

They arrived at 8th squad headquarters without incident --except for an abundance of odd stares and whispering, but only Nanao really noticed that-- and Shunsui deposited his fragile package on the only visible part of the floor. Nanao wavered for a moment, found her balance, and straightened. She surveyed the room, taking in the mountains of unevenly stacked papers, heaps of broken pens, splotches of ink-stained wood, and pile after pile of empty sake bottles that littered the once-tidy office floor. The door itself was looking unstable, and there were a few cracks running up the side of the western wall from the base of the floor to the window, which was fractured, causing a spider web of smaller lines to branch from the center.

"Taicho…" Her voice shook slightly. Shunsui took it as a bad sign, and hastily began to push some of the trash to the side.

"Oh, but Nanao-chan, I did something wonderful!" He exclaimed, throwing his hands up and kicking a discarded cork across the floor.

"You mean besides invite the entire 11th division here for drunken target practice?!" Her voice sounded calm, but her fists were clenched at her side and she pronounced every word as if it were painful to talk to him.

"They didn't come here for _practice_…" He muttered, searching through his cluttered desk. "… Party… sake… next thing I knew…on… ground… drunk…" He mumbled under his breath, opening the side drawers and emptying the contents onto the floor.

"I can't believe you let this happen!" She called from across the sea of debris. "You're so irresponsible. Would it kill you to be responsible for once?!"

He stopped, shoulders stiffening slightly. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers, obviously having an 'epiphany moment.'

"I must've left it at Ukitake's. I'll be back in a moment my sweet Nanao-chan." He ran toward the door, tripped over a chair, picked himself up, and flew out the door in a matter of 4.73 seconds.

"That man…" Nanao sighed.

"Is your future lover!" Finished Matsumoto, who had just arrived at the wooden door, which gave way and fell to the ground with a loud CRACK. She stared at it for a moment obliviously before carefully picking her way through the debris toward her best friend.

"No." Nanao snorted. "That man is a drunken disaster waiting to happen. And I— don't give me that look! If you have no business here, then I'd appreciate it if you'd leave."

"But I heard the most outrageous thing about you and your taicho! And just a few minutes ago—"

"What now…?" Nanao asked wearily, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Well… I heard that you were seen in Shunsui's arms while leaving 4th division… But I figured it was just another rumor to increase the betting po—" She stopped, peering at her friend with curiosity written on her face. "Nanao, are you… turning red?"

"No," Nanao said, adjusting her glasses, then quickly blurted out, "and it isn't just a rumor but…"

"AHA!" Shrieked Matsumoto, clapping her hands together happily. "You **do **have feelings for him!"

"Yes, those of annoyance," the 8th division lieutenant snapped back, "And for future reference, I was rendered unable to walk because of the training incident, and Kyouraku-taicho kindly offered to assist me in my return to the office. Though being here is doing nothing but harm to my rising stress level."

"Oh! You missed the best party last ni— Oh okay fine, fine. I'll leave you two alone." She winked at Shunsui, who had just returned bearing a large stack of papers. "Think about what I said Nanao! Three days! Three days and I'll be rich!" With that, the blonde grinned and swirled over the dejected door, and out through the exit.

Shunsui walked in as soon as Matsumoto had vacated the area, sweeping trash off his desk with one hand before dumping a large stack of papers onto the corner.

"Look!" He said, making an over-exaggerated flourish at the sheaf before lowering himself into his captain's chair, which creaked uncertainly under his weight. "I completed every single one of the forms." Nanao raised a skeptical eyebrow while walking over to his desk. She picked up the form sitting on the very top, scanning over it with scrutinizing eyes.

"Idiot." She muttered under her breath, eyes stopping halfway down the page.

"What?" He asked, slightly offended, wondering what he could have possibly done wrong.

"Even when you're working, you make careless mistakes."

"But I was so careful!" He took the document from her, placing it on the table in front of him, scanning it for mistakes. She walked behind him, pointing over his shoulder.

"Here. You put 'drunk' as the past tense of 'to drink,' which is incorrect." The dull throb in her head had begun to ache, sending pulsating waves of pain through her skull.

"Nanao-chan," he gestured to himself, "I think I, if anyone, would know how to conjugate the verb 'to drink.'" Closing her eyes momentarily against the discomfort in her head, she missed the small twinkle in his eyes. "For example…" he pulled his sake bottle out from his sleeve, pouring it into a small cup and taking a long sip with one fluid motion, "As you can see, I just 'drunk' some sake."

"I must disagree, taicho." Nanao stated, feeling more and more irritated at her Captain. "The proper use would be…" Without thinking, she grabbed the cup from him, downing the entire thing. "I just 'drank' some sake, as demonstrated." She gave a gasp in surprise as the sake burned down her throat. Shunsui's eyes momentarily widened in surprise at her actions, but then he was struck by inspiration.

"I still don't understand, my lovely Nanao-chan." He said, noting how her legs had suddenly begun to wobble slightly. "So when would you say the word 'drunk?'"

She gave a small sigh and seemed to conceal a small hiccup, "'Drunk' would be used as an adjective, like…" She took another sip from the cup, feeling some of the pressure lift from her head. "I just 'drank' some sake. Thus, I am 'drunk.'" She set down the cup with unnecessary force, causing some of the alcohol to slip over the rim and onto the table, narrowly missing the edges of the paper.

"Oh thank you, Nanao-chan! Now I understand." He said, standing up suddenly, sending the chair skidding across the floor. Nanao cringed against the sound, leaning against the wall for support, since the floor appeared to have suddenly turned to jelly. Giving her an apologetic smile, he returned the chair before turning to face his fukutaicho.

"Hey Nanao-chan, didn't you always say you had an extremely low tolerance for alcohol?" He asked.

"W-why yes, yes I did say that…" She mumbled, fighting the urge to slur her words, wondering how much alcohol could possibly be contained in such a small serving.

"Well, then I guess you're too drunk to stick around here." She opened her mouth to retort. "And don't complain because there's no work to be done, besides this mess, and I've already called a cleanup crew." He beamed at his fukutaicho, an invigorating glint in his eye. "Now come. You're taking the rest of the day off."

"I don't need a day off."

"You're overdue for a day off, Nanao." She bit back her angry reply at the use of her name without its usual honorific and nodded slowly.

"Good." He scooped her up again before she could protest. "Let's go."

**: End Chapter 5 :

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**End Note:**

If you spot any mistakes**, please **tell me. They bug me as much (if not more) than they might bug you.

Thanks for all your support!


	7. Sunset

**AN:** **Hey guys, long time no see. Heh, -nervous glance around-. Well, I won't lie as to why it's taken so long to update... I've been lazy. **

**Hope it was worth the wait.**

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**: Chapter 6 – Sunset :**

"Nanao-chan, how are you feeling?" Shunsui asked her after several minutes of awkward silence, his forceful attitude gone. She groaned in response, raising one hand to press against her forehead, feeling yet _another _headache coming on.

"I was afraid of this," he muttered, slowing to a walk. Shunsui really hadn't expected her body to react so quickly to the sake; in any case, he'd always thought that Nanao only avoided the drink because she was worried what she might do when _uninhibited_—which he was actually quite curious about, as well. Still, he supposed his lieutenant had not consumed alcohol in a while, so she was more susceptible than he'd thought. "Don't worry, my lovely Nanao-chan. Rest assured, it should pass quickly enough. I don't think you drank enough to make you sick… er."

He returned to looking after his intoxicated fukutaicho. When she didn't respond, he quickened his pace slightly, wondering whether or not he was doing the right thing by carrying his Vice-captain off in such a state. As a responsible Captain, shouldn't he have left her in her quarters to rest and recuperate? Then again, he didn't really consider himself a 'responsible' captain, as Nanao constantly reminded him.

He frowned, pushing away the thoughts that continued to nag at his brain, as they entered the forest. Turning his frown into a slight grin, Shunsui remembered all the cherished days he had spent in this forest training as a student, practicing missions with Ukitake, and above all, napping. The trees were tall, stretching toward the sky as if to grab the warmth with leafy fingers. They cast a design of shadows and beams of light over the worn path, giving it a scenic look. Many precious memories were buried in the roots of these gentle giants, and if he was lucky, today would be yet another to be remembered on a rainy day.

"C-Captain?" Nanao's uncertain voice brought him back to reality. "Is everything… a-all right?"

"All right?" she cringed as his loud voice reached her pounding head. He dropped his voice volume down to a whisper. "What could be wrong? I'm spending the day with the loveliest woman in all of Sereitei." _And the flirtatious attitude returns_, she thought, trying hard not to roll her eyes.

"All antics aside, you seem preoccupied… sir." He could tell the sake was wearing off, and gave a mental sigh of relief, though the logical part of his brain informed him that it was partially his fault in the first place.

"Don't worry my lovely fukutaicho," he smiled adoringly. "There's nothing bothering me except the frown on your face." Trust Shunsui to turn any serious question into a joke.

"I am frowning because I greatly disapprove of your methods of transportation and because we seem to have completely different ideas of how one should spend one's day off.'"

"Nanao-chan," Shunsui sounded as if he was repeating an obvious and well-known fact, "a day off should be spent having fun in as many ways as possible!"

"My idea of 'fun' does not include me having to take care of all your responsibilities," she snapped, emotionless mask returning though miniscule cracks were letting a bit of amusement seep through.

He chuckled. "Are you sure you're not finding the least amount of enjoyment?"

"Positive." She replied quickly. Too quickly.

"Well, judging by the slight blush that tints your beautiful cheeks, it seems that you're enjoying the fact that you are very, _very_ close to me." He teased, curling his arms and bringing her up, causing more than just a 'slight' blush.

"Certain circumstances—" Nanao struggled, turning her head away.

"Yare, Nanao-chan, I was only kidding," Shunsui laughed, eyes crinkled.

"You're always 'kidding.' Maybe you should try being serious once in a while." It was an age-old argument—one that hid a deeper meaning, one the two were scarcely aware of.

"I'm very serious when it comes to my Nanao-chan."

"Taicho, I don't think anyone in their right mind would give their sick lieutenant such a strong variety of sake to drink almost immediately after being released from a hospital."

"You were the one who grabbed it off the table!" He cried indignantly.

"Momentary lack of better judgment." She retorted. He didn't respond, letting the subject die away before she became irritated. Well, _more_ irritated.

The ground began to slope gently upward, the enormous trees thinning to be replaced with small shrubs dotted with petite, blooming flowers. Eventually the path ended at a small clearing which overlooked the Sereitei. But it was not the view that drew Nanao's attention as her Captain lowered her into the soft, springy grass, it was the sunset.

The sun's edge had just barely dipped below the horizon, its last, dying rays painting the above sky golden red, tints of orange blending in with the ruby coloring. The magnificent fire burned through the robin's egg blue, scorching the scant clouds still hanging above the silent pair a light pink. Nanao stared in shock, mouth agape even as the final glowing sliver slipped away and the world morphed into the soft hues of twilight.

She felt him sit next to her, eyes still glued on the picture perfect sky, and instinctively moved away from him, though she felt his warmth tempting her back.

"What do you think?" He inquired, setting his hat and sake bottle on the ground to his right.

"It's beautiful," she whispered.

"Not as beautiful as you." Shunsui replied, eyes carefully watching her face for a response. Nanao's words were never anything to judge by—only her face and eyes could reveal her true thoughts.

"Sir, have you been reading Rangiku's '101 Ways to Impress a Woman' book again?" She fixed him with a curious look, knowing full well how many times Rangiku had tried to 'help' him.

"Not… recently. I'm merely stating a fact." He smiled. "You should relax more often; it makes you look years younger… Not that you're not already perfect as it is." He added, giving her a broad smile that would've made lesser women swoon. She knew better.

"Kyouraku-taicho, will you ever stop?" She sighed and looked away, refusing to meet his eyes as she brought up what she had wanted—needed to know for decades.

"Loving you?" Shunsui shifted his gaze to Nanao's hands, which were twining nervously in her hakama, each nail showing signs of biting.

"Pretending that you love me," she corrected, scooting further away as her captain leaned closer.

"Nanao-chan, you know I'm too old to pretend."

"But not old enough to stop flirting with women?"

"I only flirt with one woman, because there's only one woman for me." She didn't need to ask to whom he was referring to, nor did he need to tell her. It would've been nice to hear her name though—just once, solid proof.

"You don't mean what you say." She was running out of logical arguments, but logic, she supposed, seemed to have quit trying on this whole situation altogether.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because when you tell someone the same thing every single day, that person begins the doubt the truth behind your flowery words. Flowers wilt away after a short time, _taicho._ Perhaps your words are the same." Nanao's words were sharp and biting, cutting through the 'Kodak' moment.

Her back was as rigid as a board, feet tucked under her body. But, he noticed silently, her hands, clasped together in her lap now, were shaking slightly. Something was troubling her; he had known her too long to mistake her behavior as nervousness, though many others would.

"I tell you everyday so that you'll never forget."

"But you don't deny that it's untrue."

"I do." He declared with a hint of anger on the edge of his voice. "Don't you trust me?"

"With my life, but not my heart." She replied, suppressing a sad sigh with ease. A simple act she had perfected long ago to counteract the continual barrage of 'wouldn't my Nanao-chan like to have a drink with her poor old captain?'

"That's very contradictory." He countered, noticing her hidden sigh. A gift he had perfected from years of hacking into the ice cube that surrounded her heart… with a toothpick.

"Why don't you ever give up?" Her voice wavered. "I'm not right for you; I'm too plain, too serious. I'm not like other women who are beautiful and—and … curvy." She cringed at her own poor choice of words, looking away from him again.

"My precious Nanao-chan," he placed his index finger under her chin to lift her violet eyes up to meet his dark-chocolate ones, "all those things you detest about yourself… they're the exact opposite of what you believe them to be." His eyes held hers with an intensity that did not match with his usual, carefree expressions.

She didn't realize how bad she was shaking until his strong arms snaked around her waist, drawing her close, too close, to him. She felt her personal space bubble pop, felt the small splinters in her usually iron-hard defenses fall and crumble as his eyes assaulted hers with a fiery fascination that she had never seen in him before. His gaze searched her wide, frightened eyes, desperately needing to know the truth hiding behind her impassive features.

"I really and truly love you, Nanao Ise." He brought one hand up to stroke her cheek, leaving a tingling sensation as he traced her jaw line. Still petrified with shock, she was helpless to resist as he slowly brought his lips down through the semi-darkness to meet hers.

**: End Chapter 6 :**

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**End Note: **Love it? Hate it? Think it was worth the wait? Feel let down after waiting so long? (I hope not...) I think my attempt at something sweet turned almost angsty. Flangst anyone? (flangst fluffy angst. word is property of Empress of Misfits).

Leave me a review! It's always nice to hear the voice of the people (lol?). Long or short, reviews make me a happey person (though maybe not for long. End of course tests next week, ahhhh x.x)I hope you liked it, and even if you didn't, feel free to tell me.


	8. Consequences

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AN: This chapter was a bit interesting to write, as I felt it should be filled with a ton of emotion. :) Tell me what you think by leaving a review! Good, bad, meh, bleh, leave a review! (I know people read it, b/c my friends don't have the attention span to sit there and make my hits go up that much ; No offense guys.)

**Enjoy**

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**: Chapter 7 – Consequences :**

In her mind's eye, Nanao had always imagined that their first kiss, if there was ever to be one, would be rough as almost a hundred years of pent up passion finally overflowed past her carefully established boundaries . As usual, Kyouraku-taicho proved her wrong. For a man with a reputation for being a womanizer, he was surprisingly gentle, as if he were determined to show her that she needn't be scared.

And she was scared, scared stiff of the consequences, worried of what was going to happen, afraid of what already had. Still, here in his arms, she felt safe and… complete, a feeling, she realized, had been missing from her life.

Though all these 'meaning-of-life' questions quickly crossed her mind, one after the other, a not-so-important thought came to her already jumbled head. _He may not be any good at doing his paperwork, but he sure is good at this._

In spite of everything, her inner conscious was telling—_screaming_ all the reasons of why this was wrong. _And yet… how could something so wrong feel so right?_

The delicate moon and twinkling stars shone overhead, having crept into the sky moments before. They cast a pale light around the clearing, basking the couple in their radiant glow. It was easy to forget such things as rules and regulation during such a stunning night… That is, unless you happened to be Ise Nanao. In which case, you would be kissing your Captain, breaking about 138 sections of the handbook, losing your self control, and trying to remember what you've been doing the past century instead of this.

She brought her hands up to his chest, originally intending to make a half-hearted attempt at pushing him away. However, once her hands made it all the way up, she forgot why exactly they had been traveling that way to begin with and kept them there, clutching desperately at his hakama. Desperate for what, though, she didn't yet know.

Being only human—death god, she began feeling slightly dizzy from lack of oxygen, needing the life giving air but almost refusing to break apart. In the end, however, her conscience and lungs won out. He let her pull away without a struggle, eyes twinkling with success as he watched her gasp for air.

Still holding her near his heart, he smiled. "My Nanao-chan is better at this than I thought," he teased, bringing his face toward hers once again. She stopped him instantly with one slender digit over his slightly parted lips. He settled for kissing the tip of her finger before retreating back, knowing she would need some time to compose herself. He kept one arm comfortably around her waist, keeping her close incase she felt the need to bolt.

She straightened her robes in an unnecessary habitual gesture, before speaking in a clipped, though still slightly uneven, tone. "Taicho, that was uncalled for."

"I think it was very called for," he replied, inching his fingers up her side.

"It was a very unprofessional act—taicho, please stop trying to…" She stopped as he successfully removed the pin keeping her hair together. Her hair cascaded down around her shoulders in a waterfall of silky raven-colored locks, which shone in the pale moonlight.

"You have beautiful hair," he murmured, running his hand lazily through it. "You should wear it down more often."

"S-sir," she stammered, trying to ignore the unsettling chills running down her spine, "it would distract me, and more importantly _you_, from doing your job. Therefore it is only logical to remove such distractions from the workplace."

"Logic?" He chuckled. "You've always liked _your _logic haven't you?" She fixed him with a sarcastic glare that would've sent even the war-hardened Kenpachi running.

"It is easier to base things on facts rather than fanciful instinct or whimsical feeling." She snatched her hair clip from his hand and began to methodically re-pin her hair back into its neat bun. She moved away from him, and this time he let her go, hurt by her words. Nanao, oblivious to his feelings, efficiently fixed her hair, taking her time to make sure every strand was in place.

"So there was no feeling in the last couple minutes?" Shunsui asked in a flat tone, breaking the silence.

"It was something that needed to be done before our hormones got the better of us." She started to stand, but he grabbed her wrist, stopping her halfway up. A small black cloud traveled over the bright, full moon, sending the clearing into a momentary shadow.

She tensed, facing him, wishing that he would stop looking at her with those pleading eyes, eyes that bore into her heart, breaking off the last piece of ice before piercing her soul in the center.

Had she caused this pain?

How long had it been there?

Mere minutes ago?

Or longer, since the day he'd first proclaimed his love and swore off all other women?

Had this sadness grown larger each time Nanao rejected him, each time she declared his love shallow or meaningless?

"Nanao," he said quietly, smoldering chocolate eyes locking with her uncertain violet ones, "Why won't you open up to me? Do you refuse to love me the way I love you?"

"I—I … Sir… you're drunk. You don't know what you're saying." _What a horrible comeback,_ she thought. After years of ignoring his words, she never wanted to believe him more than this, here and now.

"I'm completely sober and I know _exactly_ what I'm saying." She shook her head, biting her slightly quivering bottom lip. "I know you think I've said this a million time, to a thousand people, but I really and truly haven't. I love you and I'll always be here whenever you need me. I'll never leave you unless you want me to, and maybe not even then. You know I would never force you against your will, and I swear to protect you with my life."

"I don't…" She trailed off, not knowing what to do or say. What did a person do in this kind of situation? For someone who was used to having all the answers, always knowing a logical explanation, she was at a loss for words.

"If you don't want… don't want this," he slackened his grip on her wrist, "then just tell me. Say that you don't love me. Tell me, and I'll trouble you no more. Push me away, but I'll still be there… a protector, a friend, but if you wish it, not a lover." He released her hand, where it fell limply to her side.

"I don't want this…" She said, not moving an inch, not answering his request. Overhead, a crack of thunder split the night, followed by a flash of lightning. A breeze swirled through the clearing, causing their robes to flap like birds in the night sky. "I don't love you."

"Then look me in the eye and tell me you don't love me."

Another small boom of thunder sounded overhead, a mere echo of the first one. It was this opportune moment that the rain began to fall. The shower fell in uneven sheets of light drizzle and hard, stinging droplets.

"I—I…" She closed her eyes, feeling the tears spill before they truly did, sliding down her cheeks to drop off the bottom of her chin, salt water mixing with the cool, down-pouring drops. She reached out, feeling his warmth before his arms were around her, her shield against the rain. "I can't." She sobbed into his gi, not knowing which was falling faster: rain or tears.

"Hush now, Nanao." He placed a soft kiss on the top of her head before pulling her closer, chin resting lightly on her hair. The black storm clouds parted slightly, letting a small shaft of moonlight peek through, the rain slowed to a steady rhythm, dripping off the brim of his ever-present hat and onto the ground below. "I'm here for you."

"For how long?" She whispered, barely audible over the constant plop of rain on his bamboo hat.

"Forever." He wiped away her tears with one finger, voice almost lost in the softly pounding wind and water that whirled around them, pushing the lovers even closer together under the moonlit sky.

**: End Chapter 7 :**

**End Note: Well, what do you think? Hope I didn't just push an overused idea to its limits. D: I really tried hard on this one to add more detail and symbolism and whatnot. In my mind ('cause some of you told me otherwise last time) , this chapter was a bit flangsty (copywright Empress)... But it gets better. :) **

**BIG THANKS TO ANYONE WHO REVIEWS (especially people who've reviewed every single one of my chapters)!**

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	9. Brightest Night

**AN: Thank you so much for all your reviews/alerts/favs/etc. I honestly appreciate every single one; your support it amazing. - Well... this chapter was definitely more enjoyable to type up. Definitely the longest and (probably) fluffiest chapter I've written so far! **

**Enjoy-**

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**: Chapter 8 – Brightest Night :**

Nanao pulled away from her taicho as they neared her room, relying mainly on her good leg before continuing the remaining few steps to the door to her quarters. Though she had persistently insisted that she would be fine going home alone, he had whined, regaining his usually semi-childish attitude until she had reluctantly agreed to let him accompany her home.

"Okay Taicho," Nanao turned to face her doting captain, "Thank you for escorting me to my quarters. As you can see, I have safely reached my destination without harm. You can sleep at ease tonight."

"Yare, Nanao-chan," he sighed dramatically, "The only way to calm my worried heart would be to sleep 'at ease' with you by my side."

"Sir…Nothing bad is going to happen if you leave me." She waved her hand over the door, deactivating the kido spell that had previously been set in place.

"First of all, what if you wake up in such excruciating pain that you find yourself unable to move without me there to save you?" He flung his arms out, narrowly missing her head, and splashing water from his haori all along the walls, where it dripped down and accumulated in small puddles beneath their feet. "Second, would you _please_call me Shunsui? 'Sir' makes everything feel so professional. It makes me feel… old."

She rolled her eyes, ignoring him. "_Sir_, we're dripping water all along the hall." The door unlocked with a soft click and swung inward. "I suppose you could come in _just_ for a moment to dry yourself, seeing as you were being a proper gentleman, and escorted me home…"

Not needing to be told twice, he bounced into the room on his heels, like a child taken to the candy store for the first time. He began to examine every tiny detail of her room, nothing escaping his curious eyes.

"Ooooh, Nanao-chan," he picked up a book from the top of a stack lying on her desk, looking at the back, "I didn't know you read _these_ kinds of books." She glanced at the cover and realized exactly what he meant by '_these_ kinds of books.'

"T-those are on loan from Rangiku." She blushed, snatching the romance novel away from him, furious at herself for not returning them sooner. She replaced the volume on top of the tower of books before moving to her closet, keeping a sharp eye trained on what her taicho was doing. She pinched the bridge of her nose with a sigh, wondering just how much dignity she would be able to wake up with the coming morning.

She walked to the closet and pulled two fluffy white towels out from the middle shelf. Turning back to Shunsui, she gingerly held one out to him. "Here."

"Why thank you, Nanao-chan." He smiled, taking the towel from her hands, making sure to brush his hands against hers. She blushed slightly before grabbing her nightclothes off of a stand and heading to the bathroom, closing and carefully locking the door behind her.

Nanao quickly stripped off her wet clothes, leaving them in a small heap on the tile floor, thankful that only the outermost layer of her clothing had been the only to take any real soaking. Her drenched vice-captain's badge was neatly folded and placed next to the small sink, where she could easily retrieve it the following morning; she laid her glasses on the rim of the sink. Squeezing her hair dry using her towel, she quickly donned her favorite sleeping kimono. It was given to her as a gift from Rangiku from one of her trips to the real world, an apology of sorts for when she had bought her a bikini at the request of Nanao's perverted taicho.

The fabric was light purple with bright pink and purple flowers sewn into the cloth, the bottom edge falling halfway between her knees and ankles. Though she was usually more of a traditional person, outside the office she felt secure enough in her personal space to be more relaxed, more… unique.

_So much for keeping my personal and work lives separate,_ she thought, hoping her over-excited captain had taken the hint and left. She combed her hair and then wiped the moisture off her glasses, replacing them on her face. Glancing in the mirror, she moved toward the door.

Deciding that it would be a low blow to her pride to attempt to sneak a peek through a slender crack, she straightened her back, picked her clothes off the floor, and marched out of the bathroom acting as though there _wasn't _someone else in her room, this 'someone else' _wasn't _her captain, and said captain _wasn't _lying on her bed and looking very, very—_Don't finish that thought Ise, _she stopped herself.

She walked to where he was sprawled across her bed, his large hands laced behind his head. He had stripped to the bare minimum: his black hakama pants.

The rest of his clothes were lying, messily discarded, on top of the towel on the floor near the bed, straw hat resting on the very top. His sandals had been unceremoniously thrown next to her neat ones near the door, and she had the urge to go straighten them.

_No, that won't be necessary,_ she thought, _I'll have him out of here in a minute. _She made a mental note that the only thing he seemed to bother to make sure wasn't damaged was his heirloom hairpins, which had been carefully set on her nightstand.

"Taicho, may I inquire as to why you are on _my_ futon?" She asked, hanging her clothes on a rack to be washed later, before walking over to her bed.

He looked up at her as she approached, giving her his signature 'Hello-my-dear-I-hope-you're-not-going-to-ask-me-to-move-because-I've-already-made-myself-comfortable' smile; one Nanao knew all too well. "You look exceptionally beautiful without your work clothes." He said, staring at her. She fidgeted uncomfortably, wishing he'd look somewhere—anywhere else.

"T-thank you, sir." She managed to stammer, very unlike her usual, brisk self. "But I believe it is about time for me to retire and you to… leave." She folded her arms loosely over her chest, waiting for his response.

"Hm…What's that?" He asked, cupping one hand to his ear though she knew he must've heard her. "I can't hear your lovely voice from all the way down here." Suppressing an irritated retort, she bent down on her knees to kneel beside him.

"Taicho, please get up." Her gaze softened slightly. "I would appreciate some sleep. I had a very… tiring day."

"Nanao-chan," he sang, "I asked you to please call me Shunsui. Need we be so formal all the time?"

"I hardly think that's appropriate… Capt—" She stopped as his eyes met hers, deciding that maybe, _possibly_, it was time for her to accept the fact that they were, as Rangiku would call them, a… 'couple'.  
"S-shunsui." His face split into a wide grin as she addressed him informally for the first time.

"Yare, yare," he propped himself up on one elbow, "if I knew it would cause you _so_ much pain just to say my name, I wouldn't have asked. Though, the look on your face is positively adorable." He laughed, reaching out as she opened her mouth to protest.

She let out a protestant squeak as he caught her around the waist and pulled her down onto the mattress with him. Using one hand, he deftly lifted the blanket up and over both of their bodies. He was slightly disappointed when she tried to edge away from him, though he couldn't say it surprised him. This was, after all, Nanao Ise.

"Kyouraku-san," she started, reverting back to addressing him formally, "I don't think—" she stopped, eyes flickering to the door as a pulse of a familiar reiatsu flickered momentarily. "Wait here one moment." She instructed him; as if he had a choice.

Nanao slipped out from under the covers and stepped around her bed, feeling his curious eyes on her back. Reaching the door she swiftly yanked it open. None other than Matsumoto Rangiku tumbled in, landing with a loud "OOOF" at Nanao's feet.

"Good evening Rangiku-san." Nanao said evenly, one eyebrow raised questioningly. Her friend stood, brushing invisible dust particles off her uniform.

"NANAO!" A red-faced Rangiku jumped at her friend, attempting to hug her. Nanao easily fended off her best friend's hug attempts with a hand, keeping one braced against the doorframe, using her body as a shield against her friend's curious eyes.

"Is there something you need, Rangiku-san?" She said, this time with a deathly glint in her eyes. "It's late even for _you_ to be stopping by for a nightly visit. And as if your presence enough is not a shock, you don't seem the least bit drunk."

"It's not _that _late!" The strawberry-blonde retorted. "It's only 11:30. I thought I'd stop by and pay my good friend Nanao a visit." She smiled a smile that would've left the Cheshire cat jealous.

"Are you certain you weren't just snooping outside my door trying to get new material for rumors while attempting to hide your reiatsu?" Nanao questioned.

"Well—fine. You caught me… partially." She smiled. "But I felt your reiatsu and Shunsui's coming from _your_ room. So … I put two and two together and felt the need to investigate and make sure you're alright. It was an act of the deepest concern!"

"Well, I—wait, what, exactly, do you think is happening in this room?" She paused. "You aren't—no, don't even assume that I would be _that_ irresponsible!" Her voice rose slightly as she tried to stop from yelling.

"Aww Nanao, don't think so badly of me." She hugged her friend. "I just came to verify that I won— I mean, that you're okay. Besides, I trust you not to loose your head. You're the most sensible person I know."

"Thanks Ran-san," Nanao replied, "but I would really like to go to bed now." Rangiku nodded, turning away from the door.

"Make sure to actually get some sleep!" The strawberry blonde called, walking back toward the end of the hallway. "Don't stay up all night doin—" Rangiku cut off at the priceless expression on her friend's face. "I kid!" She laughed, almost missing the first step of the flight of stairs that led down.

She closed the door quietly, heading back to her bed. Her _occupied _bed. A small smile graced Nanao's lips when she saw Shunsui attempting to do what she assumed was a sexy pose. "What are you doing?" She asked in an amused voice.

"Just enjoying the radiant warmth of your smile." Shunsui grinned at her as she carefully slipped under the covers, keeping space between them. "Actually, I don't believe I've ever seen you genuinely smile before. Ah, what a wonderful experience it is." He reached out to caress her cheek. She initially stiffened then relaxed, hands folded over the blanket. _I could live like this…_her train of thought began to wander, _waking up to him everyday, feeling loved. Though, I guess the real question is: does he really love me?_

"May I ask you something?" She asked suddenly, turning on her side to face him.

"Anything." He replied without hesitation.

"I've heard—" she stopped, choosing her words carefully. "Rumors flying around that if I ever _did _give in to your antics that… I would become just another of the countless women you've loved then discarded."

Shunsui sighed, running one hand through his hair. "Yes, I heard these 'rumors' as well. I'm not as oblivious as you give me credit for… But that's all they are, Nanao-chan, rumors." He turned to look at her.

"But…"

"Now, I know what you're thinking." He replied. "I won't deny that I have been in love before, but probably far less than you think. You don't realize that there were many women in my life that have loved me, but only one I have loved back. I think… now, I realize that she was possibly even more of a motherly figure to me than a love interest. I suppose I was never given the chance to find out," he said bitterly. "But, unlike her, there are so many little things I notice about you that I don't think I would've taken the time to notice in anyone else."

"Little things?" She carefully removed her glasses, setting them on the table beside his hairpins, blowing out the only source of light in the room, a small lantern. They waited a few minutes, gradually letting their eyes adjust to the darkness that had overtaken the room.

"Like," he continued. "How your left eyebrow twitches when you're agitated, or how you blush ever so slightly when I announce your beauty both in public and in the privacy of the office. Even small things like the way you hint at a smile whenever I drag you out of the office for lunch. I still remember the first day you joined my squad. You were so different back then. I watched you grow up, move up in the ranks. These things about you are very important to me."

"It would appear …" She placed one small hand on his tanned one. "That you know more about me than even I do." He caught her thin wrist easily with his large hand.

"I highly doubt that." He leaned in to place a kiss on her forehead but was surprised when his lips came in contact with hers instead. Truthfully, Nanao was a bit shocked herself at this sudden action. This time, she didn't hold back. What more could she lose? Even a broken heart would be worth this.

She's not foolish; she knows she's not the first woman he has loved. But could it be too much to hope that she might be the last? She felt his lips move to her earlobe, the hairs on his unshaven chin brushing against her cheek, as he whispered her name.

"Kyou—" she stopped, finding it very difficult to concentrate as his mouth found the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder, "Shunsui… I need to know why… you were… so serious before. I've never seen you like that…" He stopped, lingering slightly before pulling away.

"You never believed me before." He murmured. "I thought maybe if I acted completely serious, you'd realize I'd actually been serious all along."

"Your logic is flawed." She told him matter-of-factly. He just stared at her incredulously before shaking his head from side to side, a smile on his face.

"I'm sure you could tell me every flaw in my logic, dear Nanao-chan," he pulled her back against his chest, resting his head lightly on her shoulder. "But you can tell me all about that tomorrow. Right now, you should be resting." He began to hum; a slow deep rhythm that worked its way under her eyelids, causing them to droop with fatigue.

"But…" She began to respond, but found she couldn't. Since when had her tongue been so heavy? She still had so many questions to ask him!

"Hush now Nanao-chan," he hummed. "We can talk as much as you want, about whatever you want in the morning."

She wanted to argue. To ask him what would happen if he wasn't there in the morning, if he would want to talk—or even look at her in the morning. But even she, the most disciplined fukutaicho of the Gotei 13, couldn't fend off the daemon that was sleep. Slowly but surely, her eyes closed, pushing away her doubts as she allowed herself to sleep, listening to the soothing lullaby of the heart beating mere inches from her own.

**: End Chapter 8 :**

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**End Note: Too fluffy? Too cliche? Too... draggy? Typos? Grammar mistakes? OOC-ness? Leave me a review! I really like to hear back from readers (I know you're out there. I have my sources :3) I hope I didn't bore you. I'm very sad that this story is coming to a close, but I suppose it was inevitable. This is the second to last chapter. **

**-AP**


	10. Afterward: Awakening

**AN: Here it is. Last chapter! Phew. I originally didn't intend to make this story so long, and afterward I was scared I wouldn't stay committed enough to finish it. I'm very glad I did though. I want to thank all the people who took the time to leave me a review: you guys rock! Especially the people who reviewed every single chapter. (:**

**Well, this is the last bit of the story. I hope none of the formatting or words got messed up. Sometimes when I upload things from MS Word to the documents on it messes with some stuff. TT It's not really a chapter (because I wanted 8 official chapters X3 obsessed much) since not much happens, it just shows kind of the beginning of life after all this drama. I hope you enjoy it.**

**On another note, I posted the last chapter today (July 11th), for a reason: HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHUNSUI!**

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**: Afterward – Awakening :**

It was warm. Yes, warm. It was warmth that could touch a person at their very soul, or in a soul reaper's case, soul chain. However, it was not hot, not even mildly warm, but nonetheless, it was warmth. No, this feeling wasn't warmth… It was completeness.

_Wait, did that make sense?_ Fragments were being pieced together now, forming reasonable thought. As the grogginess that surrounded one's consciousness in the state of slumber lifted, Nanao felt her mind clear as the sleep gently pried its fingers from her mind.

Eyes still heavy with sleep, she kept them shut as she waited for her brain to catch up and stop pounding inside her skull. All seemed to be in a moderate state of normal. However, there was an unidentified pressure in her chest, and something felt different…

She was feeling slightly sore, though she pinpointed the source of said 'soreness' to be her bandaged leg, where she had been injured several days ago. _Yes, several days ago…_she thought, mind finally catching up. She experimentally moved her fingers, flexing them a few times to make sure they were still working properly.

_Fingers: check. _

_Legs: slightly sore around the wound, but it's to be expected...check. _

_Head: pounding but still functional, check. _

_Taicho: check. _

_Chest: heavy, but still working… check. _

_Everything seems to be in— wait… Did I just say—think, 'Kyouraku-taicho?' _She rubbed the back of her eyelids with her left hand before opening her eyes a fraction.

Pale sunlight streamed through a window on the opposite wall, indicating that it was just past the time she normally woke. _I'm late for work… _she thought, feeling no will to return to her monotonous life in the office. She waited for her eyes to adjust to the light. Once the blinding white lights on the edge of her vision had cleared, she slowly turned her head to the right.

She began to wonder if she had possibly been extremely drunk the previous night when she came face to face with a sleeping, and gently snoring, Shunsui. He was sprawled on his chest, one arm draped over her body and the other under the pillow, curled beneath his head. She panicked slightly when she saw he had no shirt on.

Gathering up her courage and blushing furiously, Nanao peeked under the covers. She gave a small sigh when she saw his hakama still hanging around his waist, if just barely.

Her initial reaction would have been, obviously, to put as much distance as she could between herself and the sleeping form next to her, but an extremely large amount of self restraint was put to use as she forced herself to stay still. _There's obviously a good explanation for this… _Nanao closed her eyes again, finally finding the memories of the events that had taken place during the previous night.

The missing memories of what had transpired the night before hit her like a well-aimed kido spell. _Oh, right._

A feeling similar to butterflies yet more pleasant arose in her stomach as she took in the scene set before her. She carefully lifted her head to look at the clock: 6:45. She _was_ late. Surprisingly, she felt that she couldn't care less.

Then again, the world probably _did _care, even if she didn't. She carefully slid Shunsui's hand off her waist and onto the bed. She watched, amused, as his hand groped around for her until it finally settled on pulling her pillow against his chest. She smiled before quietly walking away from the bed.

* * *

Kyouraku Shunsui woke up to a cold bed, which was normal. The thing that was _not_ normal, however, was that this wasn't his bed. Also, this room was way too neat to be his. _Ah, this must be Nanao-chan's room, _he concluded. _Odd…_ He had always imagined waking up with his Nanao-chan curled up against him.

Shunsui sat up and glanced around, seeing his clothes neatly folded and waiting on the corner of Nanao's desk. He smiled appreciatively; he wouldn't mind waking up like this every morning.

After a moment, Shunsui amended that thought: he wouldn't mind waking up like this every morning _with_ his Nanao-chan.

Arriving late to the office as usual, Shunsui was not surprised to find his diligent lieutenant already working hard on another stack of papers. She didn't glance up as he entered, but he felt her eyes on his back when he turned around to circle the room once before stopping in front of her desk.

"Good morning Nanao-chan!" He sang, leaning over and propping elbows on her desk, his head on his hands.

"Good _afternoon,_ Kyouraku-taicho." She replied, not looking up.

He pouted. "Why so cold this morning?" He asked. "Wake up cold in bed again?" He joked. Her eyes snapped up.

"Actually, I woke up_ perfectly_ warm in bed today." She narrowed her eyes, glancing at the door, then the window.

"That's wonderful!" He continued without a second thought. "You should wake up warm everyday—"

"Taicho! None of this is related to what we should be doing," she continued before he could interrupt with some perverted joke, "which is: working on these." She motioned to several stacks of paper.

"Yare, yare." He stood up. "So proper in the office. You weren't so formal last night." He winked at her as she blushed.

"That's enough, thank you taicho." She replied curtly. "Please take these forms regarding the upcoming war and sign them." She held up a large and rather intimidating stack of papers. He took them from her, making sure to brush his hands against hers. She twitched slightly, but then quickly turned and buried herself back into her work.

* * *

Several grueling hours later, Shunsui returned to her desk to drop the finished forms in her completed pile. She looked up, shock briefly crossing her face, before returning her attention to the paper before her.

"Nanao-chan," his voice sounded behind her and she made sure not to give any implication that he had taken her by surprise, "you shouldn't work so long; it could be hazardous to your health."

"Notice, Taicho, that it was my leg that was injured, not my wrist or my fingers." She rolled her eyes, though the edge on her voice was gone.

"Nanao, I'm giving you an eight second warning." Shunsui said, placing his hands on her waist. "I'm about to pick you up and whisk you away to dinner."

She put her pen down, setting the last form on top of the pile. "Oh really, Shunsui?" She asked with a smile on her face.

"Yes, my dear." He whispered in her ear. "After that, I plan on returning to your quarters for some unfinished business." He gave her a cocky smile.

"I think not." She said, turning around to face him. She smiled as his face dropped into a frown, placing a short kiss on his lips. "We'll be going to _your_ quarters tonight." She watched as a mischievous twinkle entered his eye.

"Even better!" He swept her up in his arms, bringing his face down to hers again. "Your bed is too small for what I had planned anyways." With that, he shunpoed away, leaving the office behind

* * *

Outside, Matsumoto turned to Ukitake with a smug grin on her face. Ukitake groaned and buried his head in his hands, though she didn't miss the smile on his face. Though he was happy that Shunsui and Nanao had finally gotten together, he had hoped for at least a few more days.

"I told you." She said happily, clapping her hands together.

Ukitake looked up at her in response. "How much do I owe you?" He asked hesitantly. The smiling blonde took out a sheet of paper from inside her gi and handed it to him. "I'm almost scared to look." He joked nervously.

"Well when you do decide to… there's the total." She said as he took the paper from her. Ukitake sighed before peeking at the sum out of the corner of his eye. His eyes widened slightly with shock. _Wow, money builds up fast over time…_

Ukitake smiled as they stood up to leave their positions in the bushes. "You know… I've never lost a bet when it comes to my best friend… But, I suppose, there's a first for everything."

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**: End :**

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**End Note: Gotta love the** **cliché ending and all. Hope you enjoyed my story. Sorry if it didn't live up to expectations or anything. I've been reading over some of the earlier chapters and I think I might go back and fix some of them up a bit. I don't mean change them completely, just some of the wording and what-not. Heh. **

**Regardless, please drop me a review and tell me what you think. Love, hate, mistake, ANYTHING you'd like to point out, feel free to. (: I'd love to make it to 100 reviews. Officially, this is my first chaptered story on but I hope to write more in the future. Well, that's about it.**

**Thanks again, I had a great time writing this.**


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